Eric Staggs: Writer

(excerpt from a piece I wrote for Spectacle Publishing Media Group)

Since it’s the season for horror writing (though I think true Zombie aficionados are always alert and wary for the possibility of an undead uprising, regardless of the time of year) I thought it’d be a good time to talk about a tidal wave of a trend in fiction. I’m guessing if you’re any sort of Zombie fan, you’ve read The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z by Max Brooks. These two books, so well researched and cleverly assembled helped to make the concept of a species-ending epidemic or plague, very real, bringing them close to home at the same time, viewing such terrific events from a cool and clinical perspective. This perspective added a level of plausibility that the genre had lacked before. Max Brooks two books are clear, concise, informative and not the blood-spattered, hysterical screaming gore fests many of us have come to associate with the genre… (read the rest at www.spectaclepmg.com)

From a writer’s point of view, this film was pretty weak. This particular version takes a robbery/homicide and turns it into a sadistic piece of slightly predictable nightmare. Liv Tyler, gorgeous as always, takes on the role of scream queen as she and her estranged boyfriend attempt to ward off psychotic attacks from Strangers. The Strangers, are apparently drifters with an excruciatingly sadistic streak. After some moments of tension, the plot breaks, and everyone dies. Basically.

For a horror film, I’d say everything is done right. The characters have a measure of depth. They have a backstory, a motivation. The friend who shows up just to add to the body count has a legitimate reason for being there. Structurally, it was a well crafted film.

There were moments of true tension, supported by some chilling cinematography. However, if you’re looking for a plot or depth of substance, you won’t find it here. This is ultimately just a slow moving slasher film, now matter how well constructed it was.